Chapter 60: Chapter Sixty
Chapter 60
Brie’s POV
The bitter taste of defeat lingered longer than wine.
I paced the length of my chamber, the stone floor groaning beneath my heels. The goblet still sat on my table, untouched since the meeting. The poisoned wine had been meant for Edgar’s lips, not the tongue of his mate. And yet, there she was, Lia Mason, stepping into the role of shield like she had been born for it.
My hand slammed against the table, the goblet toppling and spilling red across the wood.
“One sip away. One sip away from silence.”
The door creaked open, and Malrick entered without knocking. His face was pale, drawn tight, his eyes darting to the stain on the table.
Malrick: “Do you want the entire fortress to hear your tantrum?”
I whirled on him, rage simmering beneath my skin.
“Don’t call it a tantrum. We were inches from ending this, Malrick. Inches.”
He shut the door behind him and leaned against it, lowering his voice.
Malrick: “And instead we were exposed. In front of every councilor. If you keep this up, even the ones who hate Edgar will start to fear you more.”
I stalked closer, forcing him back a step.
Brie: “They already fear me. That’s why they listen.”
By nightfall, we gathered in the hidden chamber beneath the east wing, the place where whispers turned into daggers. The torches burned low, shadows dancing across the ancient stone.
Six of us sat around the narrow table. Some looked uneasy, others furious.
It was Maren who spoke first, his hands folded tightly together.
Maren: “We’ve gone too far. Poisoning an Alpha in his own hall? If this spreads beyond these walls”
Brie: “It won’t.”
Maren: “You can’t promise that. The girl tasted it in front of us all. She’ll tell Elena, and Elena will tell the others. If the pack turns against us”
I cut him off with a sharp laugh.
Brie: “The pack is a flock of sheep. They don’t think, they follow. And they will follow the voice that shouts the loudest.”
Malrick cleared his throat.
Malrick: “Then shout carefully. Edgar has already turned their eyes back to him. They saw him stand today. Weak, yes, but standing. That’s enough to kindle hope.”
A murmur of agreement rippled through the room. My jaw clenched. Hope. The most dangerous weapon of all.
Brie: “Then we snuff it out before it spreads.”
Councilor Derra: “And how do you propose we do that? We can’t risk another public attempt. If he dies at a feast, the fingers will point to us.”
Brie: “Not if he dies in private.”
The silence that followed was thick, uncomfortable. I leaned forward, letting the firelight catch my eyes.
Brie: “Edgar Nolan is fading already. His body betrays him with every step. All we need is the right… push. A fall. An accident. A fever that lingers. No one questions when the weak finally collapse.”
But not everyone was convinced.
Maren: “And if the goddess intervenes again? We’ve seen stranger things. If he survives a second attempt, our fate is sealed.”
Brie: “Then we do not fail.”
I slammed my hand on the table, the echo bouncing off the stone walls.
Brie: “Do you understand? This isn’t about Edgar alone. It’s about the future of the pack. If he clings to power, he drags us all into ruin. His bloodline is tainted by weakness, his mind clouded by a mate who knows nothing of rule. We will be nothing more than prey to the neighboring packs.”
Malrick raised an eyebrow.
Malrick: “You sound more afraid than ambitious, Brie.”
My lips curled.
Brie: “Fear is wisdom, Malrick. Only fools walk blind into the wolf’s jaws.”
The arguments dragged, voices rising and falling, but I guided them with a steady hand, twisting their doubts into resolve. By the time the torches burned low, the mood had shifted.
Still, one problem lingered.
Councilor Derra: “Even if we agree, how? His mate watches him like a hawk. Elena too. He is never alone.”
I smiled slowly, savoring the moment.
Brie: “Then we make sure the blow comes from inside. Someone they trust. Someone close enough to walk past the hawk’s eyes.”
The chamber stirred uneasily.
Maren: “You mean betrayal.”
Brie: “I mean survival.”
I leaned forward, lowering my voice to a whisper.
Brie: “Every shield has a crack. Every Alpha has a weak link. Find it.”
The council dispersed one by one, leaving me alone with Malrick. He lingered by the door, his expression unreadable.
Malrick: “You speak of cracks and betrayal as if it were simple. But you forget, Edgar inspires loyalty. Even now. Especially now.”
Brie: “Loyalty is just another word for blindness. And blindness can be cured.”
He shook his head, but he didn’t argue further. As he left, I stood in the silence, the firelight painting the chamber in lood-red hues.
A plan was forming already. Edgar might have his mate, his goddess. But no fortress stands forever. One loyal hand turned traitor could bring it crashing down.
And I would find that hand.